Automobile ash tray



N 1967 J. COOPER 3,351,070

' AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAY Filed Aug. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JULIE COOPER ATTORNEY 1967 J. COOPER AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1965 PIC-3.3

INVENTYOR. JUL IE COOPER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,351,070 AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAY Julie Cooper, Roselle, NJ. 07203 Filed Aug. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 477,483 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-236) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention deals with ash trays, particularly with a dashboard mounted automobile ash tray having a wettable sponge therein for extinguishing cigarette butts and ashes. It comprises a chamber having a central hole in its bottom. A spongy material is disposed in the chamber around the opening. The chamber sides are provided with slide lips engageable With coacting slide lips under the dashboard. Also, a hollow container is attachable to the bottom of the chamber to enable dropping thereinto of butts first extinguished by pressing them against the wet sponge. Conduit means is provided through the wall of the chamber to convey water thereinto, either from a squeeze bottle, or from other supply means.

This invention relates to an ash tray for mounting onto the dashboard of automobiles. More specifically, it deals with an ash tray slidable from under a dashboard; and having a separate and removable container as well as a moistenable sponge for extinguishing lighted cigarettes.

One of the difliculties in smoking in automobiles is the danger of igniting inflammable material. Another trouble centers around smoke which seeps out of ash trays and makes the confined space in the car uncomfortable. A still further problem is the usually shallow receptacles for such use and the difiiculty involved in removing and emptying them.

According to the present invention, there is made available an automobile ash tray which will overcome substantilly all of these deficiencies and which provides a positive means for extinguishing lighted cigarettes, and which is easily removed from the dash for emptying, and is readily reassembled.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is described and in which FIGURE 1 depicts a top or plan view thereof with squeeze water bottle and attachment therefor cut away. A side view thereof is presented in FIGURE 2, while FIGURE 3 illustrates a front view thereof. A cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of the upper portion of the ash tray of FIG- URE 1 is shown in FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5 presents a side view, reduced in size, of the unit of FIGURE 2 as the bottom container portion is removed for emptying, while FIGURE 6 depicts a top View of the bottom or container portion of the ash tray. FIGURE 7 illustrates a cross-sectional View taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 6. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 10 designates a square or rectangular chamber, preferably made of metal, and having a front wall 11, sides 12 and 13, and back 14. A pull handle 15 is attached to the front wall 11. Sides 12 and 13 preferably are provided with inwardly-directed lips 16 and 17 to serve as slide members to assist the sliding of the chamber from underneath an automobile dashboard 18, the latter being provided with gripping lugs 19 and 20, or similar elements, to hold the indented sides 12 and 13 (FIG. 4).

Chamber 10 is provided with central opening 21 which is preferably square or rectangular in shape, and this "ice opening may be bounded by walls 22, 23, 24, and 25, which walls may be attached to bottom 26 of chamber 10. The space between the outer walls 11-12-13-14, and the inner walls 22-23-2425 is hollow, and in this space is placed a water-absorptive sponge 27 which, in this case, would be in the shape of a square or rectangular doughnut. Sponge 27 may be of a material such as polyurethane resin. Inner Walls 23 and 25 are extended somewhat downwardly and then outwardly to form lips 28 and 29 on which ride the coacting inwardly-directed lips 30 and 31 of container 32.

Container 32, in which the ashes and butts of cigarettes, cigars, etc., are stored preferably has a cylindrical side body 33, and a bottom 34, as seen in FIG. 2. The top of body 33 is attached to laterally-directed runner plate 35, said plate having a circular opening 36 having about the internal diameter of body 33. On each side of plate 35 is an inwardly-directed lip 30 and 31 which overlap chamber outwardly-directed lips 28 and 29, the combination serving as sliding surfaces permitting container 32 to be slid off chamber 10 for emptying of the contents (see FIG. 5).

As optional equipment, there is attached to rear Wall 14 of chamber 10, in connecting relation therewith, tube 37 (FIG. 2) which may be connected to the top 38 of squeeze bottle 39, which may be filled with water or water and antifreeze. A squeeze of bottle 39 will force water into chamber 10 wherein it would be soaked up by sponge 27. In this manner, sponge 27 may be kept moist at all times. In the event tube 37 is connected to the windshield Water-squirter (rather than squeeze bottle 39), it is preferably provided with a valve 40 which may be turned on only when water from the water-squirter is desired to enter chamber 10.

When in use, the unit is assembled as in FIG. 2. When a cigarette is to be disposed of, pull knob 15, which is adjacent dashboard 18, is pulled out until the dashboard is in position 18'. Then, the lit end of the cigarette is pressed into sponge 27 where the water soaks into the cigarette and extinguishes it. The butt is then dropped through opening 21 and into container 33. When the container 33 is to be emptied, it is pulled out forwardly until lips 3031 are free of lips 28-29, and the container contents are disposed of by turning the container upsidedown. Thereafter, the lips 30-31 are slid over lips 28-29 of chamber 10, and the container is set in position, as in FIGURE 2.

I claim:

1. An automobile ash tray mountable under a dashboard in horizontally sliding relation thereto, comprising,

means providing a chamber having a bottom, back, sides and a front, and having a hole in the center portion of its bottom;

engaging means attached to the sides of said chamber means designed to enable sliding out of said chamber means from under a dashboard provided with coacting engaging means,

a water-absorptive spongy material disposed in said chamber means around said opening therein,

engaging means attached to the bottom of said chamber means,

a hollow container having a body and a bottom and having engaging means at its top designed to engage and be held by said engaging means in the bottom of said chamber means, and

conduit means leading into a wall of said chamber means and designed to convey water thereinto to be absorbed by said spongy material.

2. An automobile ash tray mountable under a dashboard in horizontally sliding relation thereto, compris- 111g,

means providing a chamber having a bottom, back, sides and a front with a. pull handle, and having a hole in the center portion of its bottom;

an inner wall circumscribing said hole in said chamber and forming an enclosure with said back, sides and front of saidchamber means,

a water-absorptive spongy material disposed in said enclosure,

engaging means attached to the sides of said chamber means and designed to enable sliding out of said chamber means from under said dashboard, said dashboard being provided With coacting engaging means,

a laterally directed lip projecting from the bottom edge of each side of said inner Wall,

a hollow container having a body and a bottom and having a laterally projecting lip projecting from each side of the upper end of said body and designed to slide over the lips of chamber means, and

conduit means penetrating the back of said chamber means and designed to convey water thereinto to be absorbed by said spongy material.

3. An automobile ash tray according to claim 2 in References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Travis 131256 Caldwell 131-236 Ausbrooks 131231 X Griffin 131-236 Gillisse et a1.

Hendricks.

Morrison 13l236 Weber 131-236 Mackey 131236 X SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. 2

0 JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. AN AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAY MOUNTABLE UNDER A DASHBOARD IN HORIZONTALLY SLIDING RELATION THERETO, COMPRISING, MEANS PROVIDING A CHAMBER HAVING A BOTTOM, BACK, SIDES AND A FRONT, AND HAVING A HOLE IN THE CENTER PORTION OF ITS BOTTOM; ENGAGING MEANS ATTACHED TO THE SIDES OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS DESIGNED TO ENABLE SLIDING OUT OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS FROM UNDER A DASHBOARD PROVIDED WITH COACTING ENGAGING MEANS, A WATER-ABSORPTIVE SPONGY MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER MEANS AROUND SAID OPENING THEREIN, ENGAGING MEANS ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS, A HOLLOW CONTAINER HAVING A BODY AND A BOTTOM AND HAVING ENGAGING MEANS AT ITS TOP DESIGNED TO ENGAGE AND BE HELD BY SAID ENGAGING MEANS IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS, AND CONDUIT MEANS LEADING INTO A WALL OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS AND DESIGNED TO CONVEY WATER THEREINTO TO BE ABSORBED BY SAID SPONGY MATERIAL. 